In general, an imagewise exposed black and white silver halide photographic material is processed by the steps of developing, fixing, rinsing (or washing) and drying. Recently, the photographic material (i.e., the light-sensitive material) is almost always processed with an automatic developing machine. In this case, the light-sensitive material is usually subjected to development processing while replenishing a fixed amount of developing solution proportional to the area of the light-sensitive material processed. Stable photographic performance is desired when such the development processing is carried out. Furthermore, investigators have sought to reduce the replenishing solution amount while maintaining stable photographic performance. Generally, the developing solution is replenished in an amount of 250 ml or more, particularly 330 ml or more per m.sup.2 of a sheet form photographic material processed such as, for example, an X-ray photographic material and a graphic arts light-sensitive material.
However, the photographic developing solution waste liquid has a high chemical oxygen demand (C.O.D.) or biological oxygen demand (B.O.D). Consequently, the developing solution waste liquid is disposed only after it is first subjected to chemical or biological treatment to render the same environmentally harmless. Because waste treatment is expensive, there is a need for a developing method in which the replenishing amount to the developing solution is further reduced.
On the other hand, a scanner system is known as a method for imagewise exposing a photographic material. In the scanner system, an original picture is scanned and a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is exposed according to the image signals obtained therefrom to form a negative image or positive image corresponding to the image on the original picture. Various recording equipment employing a scanner system is commercially available, and a laser having a wavelength of 600 nm or more is often used as one of the recording light sources for such scanner system recording equipment.
In general, a photographic light-sensitive material comprises a support and a photographic layer each having an electrical insulating characteristic. Thus, an electrostatic charge is accumulated in many cases by contact friction with the surface of the same kind or different kind of material, or by peeling during the manufacture or use of the photographic light-sensitive material. This accumulated electrostatic charge causes many problems. A serious problem in particular is a dotlike spot or a dendritic or plumous line speckle that is generated when a light-sensitive emulsion layer of the photographic film is exposed by discharge of an accumulated electrostatic charge and then subjected to development processing. Furthermore, these accumulated charges induce secondary problems such as sticking of dust to a film surface, inferior transport in photographing and in a film carrier, and uneven coating.
In a scanner system employing a laser, rapid and accurate film transport is essential. Inferior transport caused by static electricity leads to inaccurate images, which in turn results in a wrong decision made based on the inaccurate images. An anti-static agent is usually added to a photographic material as a countermeasure therefor. However, the above described reduction in the replenishing amount of a processing solution allows the anti-static agent contained in the photographic material to be eluted to the processing solution. As a result, the accumulated amount thereof in the processing solution is increased and the anti-static agent is deposited onto the photographic material as an insoluble matter. This deposit generates stain (a scurf-like stain) and foaming in a developing solution and a fixing solution, which in turn leads to deteriorated developing and fixing characteristics.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an image-forming method in which the replenishing amounts of a developing solution and a fixing solution can be reduced, while stable photographic performance is obtained.